Cost of Living Comparison Between South Yarra and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between South Yarra and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,544 in South Yarra versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,620 in South Yarra versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,697 in South Yarra versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in South Yarra is roughly 107% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: South Yarra is 86% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.79 A$24.98

$4.41 ฿147

303.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.9 A$119

$32.26 ฿1,074

163.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.62 A$12.11

$8.93 ฿297

-3.47%

Cappuccino

$3.59 A$5.04

$2.90 ฿96.4

23.79%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 A$2.95

$0.88 ฿29.30

138.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 A$2.46

$0.48 ฿16.01

264.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.22 A$14.35

$2.35 ฿78.3

334.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.45 A$11.86

$3.72 ฿124

127.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 A$2.32

$1.87 ฿62.1

-11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 A$3.93

$1.47 ฿48.81

90.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 A$1.99

$1.55 ฿51.7

-8.39%

Eggs

$4.20 A$5.90

$2.10 ฿70.0

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 A$15.41

$19.59 ฿652

-44.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.10 A$9.98

$3.42 ฿114

107.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.79 A$22.18

$11.38 ฿379

38.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 A$3.98

$2.98 ฿99.3

-5.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.04

$1.68 ฿56.1

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 A$2.05

$2.21 ฿73.5

-33.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.06

$2.16 ฿72.0

33.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 A$1.99

$1.52 ฿50.8

-7.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 A$3.08

$1.34 ฿44.55

63.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.46

$1.13 ฿37.57

117.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.30

$0.55 ฿18.19

198.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.84 A$44.71

$4.26 ฿142

647.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.50 A$17.55

$19.09 ฿635

-34.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.48 A$7.70

$1.78 ฿59.2

207.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.33

$2.78 ฿92.6

87.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 A$4.31

$2.23 ฿74.2

37.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.3 A$121

$22.74 ฿757

279.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 A$6.44

$3.03 ฿101

51.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 A$2.06

$1.02 ฿34.06

44.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.84 A$43.31

$3.89 ฿130

692.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.84

$1.49 ฿49.63

-12.08%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.6K A$40.2K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

7.57%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.4K A$38.5K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

1.53%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$232 A$326

$102 ฿3,411

126.78%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$28.62 A$40.18

$11.33 ฿377

152.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.37 A$60.9

$17.40 ฿579

149.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 A$75.6

$52.1 ฿1,734

3.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.41 A$24.45

$11.07 ฿369

57.27%

Cinema Ticket

$14.00 A$19.66

$7.69 ฿256

82.05%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,397 A$3,366

$561 ฿18.7K

327.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K A$43.7K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

170.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.2 A$113

$63.0 ฿2,098

27.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 A$72.1

$29.52 ฿983

74.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$171

$98.0 ฿3,263

24.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 A$191

$88.5 ฿2,946

54.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,454 A$2,042

$738 ฿24.6K

96.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 A$1,734

$482 ฿16.1K

156.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,214 A$3,109

$2,107 ฿70.1K

5.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,863 A$2,616

$1,226 ฿40.8K

51.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,973 A$9,791

$3,617 ฿120.4K

92.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,441 A$7,640

$2,603 ฿86.7K

109.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.87

5.57

5.39%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for South Yarra: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,454 in South Yarra and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in South Yarra vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $274 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

South Yarra vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,816 in South Yarra and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,454 in South Yarra versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,397 in South Yarra versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in South Yarra. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,544 in South Yarra, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in South Yarra. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in South Yarra, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, South Yarra and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in South Yarra. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.